Local educator selected as member of national teaching association

Michelle Brand Buchanan, of Conway, was recently selected to join the National Science Teacher’s Association Science Matters Advisory Board, according to a news release.

The association promotes excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning.

As a member of the Science Matters Advisory Board, Buchanan will provide advice and input to the NSTA Board of Directors and staff responsible for Science Matters programs and endeavors. The goal of Science Matters is to emphasize the importance of why strong science and mathematics skills are essential for students’ success to parents and teachers of elementary school students. Science Matters, formerly Building a Presence for Science, is NSTA’s initiative to bring content, news and information that supports quality science education to parents and teachers nationwide.

Buchanan is a licensed secondary Arkansas science educator, a Science Early Adolescence National Board Certified Teacher and has won many national awards for her teaching expertise and curriculum writing skills. Her awards include the 2011-2012 PBS Innovative Teacher, 2008-2009 Toyota International Teacher Program Galapagos Islands participant and the 2006-2007 U.S. Department of Education’s Star Teacher award for Louisiana. In 2005, Buchanan served as an education liaison in Antarctica with the International Antarctic Drilling Program, ANDRILL. She was also selected by TED-Ed in a national search to write science animated lessons for online publication.

Buchanan is the assistant director of UALRTeach, an innovative teacher preparation program that is a replication of the UTeach program from the University of Texas in Austin. She lives in Conway with her husband, coach Buck Buchanan of Hendrix College.